The FAA registry website indicates the aircraft was registered to WFO Flying Service of Carmi, Illinois.

Chief Deputy Marc Mashaw of the Ouachita Parish Sheriff’s Office told the News-Star that the plane had been in northeastern Louisiana since November for repairs and added that the pilot was conducting a test flight.

Ron Phillips, manager of the Monroe Municipal Airport, told the paper plane “was flying patterns and ran into difficulty” as it clipped several pine trees and spun out of control before crashing.

Phillips also said the plane was, “a long way from the runway. At this point, no one knows what happened.”

Martin reportedly spends most of his time in Illinois working as a crop duster but occasionally flies back to Monroe for visits.

An official with the National Transportation Safety Board said it is unclear if investigators will arrive Tuesday or Wednesday given that the nearest NTSB office is in Dallas.